By George OPARA
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) on Oil Wealth has urged African oil-producing countries not to depend solely on foreign expertise but to use vast hydrocarbon resources to build local technology capacity and strengthen industrial development across the continent.
Engr. Felix Ogbe, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, made the call as he was receiving a delegation from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).
Spear News Nigeria learned the visit was for benchmarking and knowledge-sharing.
Represented by the Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, Ogbe said Africa’s growing oil and gas reserves present a strategic opportunity for economic transformation if properly harnessed.
He affirmed that the continent now holds over 120 billion barrels of crude oil and about 800 trillion standard cubic feet of natural gas, representing more than 10 per cent of global reserves.
He also highlighted that African countries must shift focus from extraction alone to building local expertise, institutions, and technology systems that support the full value chain of the energy sector.
Ogbe explained that local content development remains central to reducing dependency on imported technology while creating jobs for Africa’s rapidly growing youth population.
He added that Nigeria’s local content journey began as a division under the former NNPC before evolving into the NCDMB, which now oversees implementation of local content policies in the oil and gas industry.
While the board operates under a 10-Year Strategic Roadmap, Ogbe said it covers technical capacity development, compliance enforcement, business environment reforms, and market expansion.
He also highlighted the Nigerian Content Intervention Fund, managed through the Bank of Industry and NEXIM Bank, which provides single-digit interest loans to indigenous oil and gas service providers.
But he said financing alone is not enough, as local firms must also be given real opportunities to compete through policies such as the “First Consideration” framework for competent Nigerian companies.
He emphasized that African countries must maintain global standards while implementing local content policies, noting that industrial growth must not compromise technical quality.
“Local content does not mean lowering standards,” he said, emphasizing alignment with international benchmarks.
Presenting an overview of Nigeria’s progress, Dr. Zuwairat Asekome of NCDMB said the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act has significantly increased in-country value retention to 61 per cent.
On behalf of the GNPC delegation, Mr. Eric Pwadura commended Nigeria’s achievements and expressed interest in adopting similar structures in Ghana.
He cited that while Ghana has local content legislation, it is still developing institutional depth comparable to Nigeria’s model.
In his remarks, NCDMB spokesperson Dr. Obinna Ezeobi said Nigeria has continued to support other African countries, including Ghana, Angola, Mozambique, Senegal and Namibia, in building local content frameworks and partnerships.
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